Twisted Love
by TheSelectionr0x
Summary: After a tragic rebel attack that has killed Kaden's sister, Eadalyn and her husband, Kaden is soon to become King. Can Kaden find love, rule a country, and stop rebels before time runs out? SYOC CLOSED
1. Chapter 1 - announcements and nightmares

_Kaden walked to his room, feeling desperate, shocked, angry, miserable, and so many other emotions that his body had gone into a numb state. Loss felt like a weight on his shoulders and his whole body sagged from the burden. The announcement had been made, the palace was covered in black. Yet it still didn't seem real. He couldn't believe that the room right above him would be empty. No more heavy footsteps place deliberately to annoy him, no muffled voices would be heard talking, laughing. It was empty. and it seemed that there was a hole in Kaden's heart the size of that room. A hole that could not be filed. The whole that Eadalyn should have filled. He laid down on the bed and fell asleep, but he dreamed about the attack._

 _Kaden yawned and walked to his room. Eadalyn had just announced her engagement to Kile. Everyone had left the Great room but they stayed with Sylvia, who was helping get through the hundreds of reporters and paparazzi trying to get pictures of the newly engaged couples. The rebel alarm suddenly filled Kaden ears. All he could hear was the rebel alarm blaring and the screams of thousands of guest as they were rushed to safe places. All he could see were frantic people trying to find their loved ones. Guards suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into a safe room. His parents were in there, as well as Osten, Ahren, and his mother and Father, Queen America and King Maxon. They all looked like they let out a breath when I came in. "Thank God Kaden, you're safe," Mom hugged me and I could see her doing a head count, "Eadalyn, Kile, where are they?" She demanded of the guards. They soothed her, telling her there was a safe room near the Great Room, and that correspondences has told them that Eadalyn and Kile were safe. He gave mom the walkie talkie to see for herself. "Eady?" She whispered._

 _"Mom," came the response, "don't worry about us, now we have to be qui-" The line went dead and all we could hear was static. A minute later voices came back on. A manly voice, so low it was almost a growl._

 _"Queen America, we have killed you daughter and son-in-law, and we're leaving. Next time we come though, we come to kill the rest of you. We will be vicious and there will be no survivors." Then all we could hear was static. There was dead silence for a minute, it seemed the rebels had stayed true to their promise and left. Mom screamed and pounded on the door._

 _"LET ME OUT OF HERE, MY DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!" Mom screamed at the guard. I had never seen mom so mad, or so frantic._

 _"Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but we have orders not to let you out until the palace has been searched thoroughly for rebels." Mom looked like steam would start coming out of her ears._

 _"THAT'S MY DAUGHTER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, LET ME GO!" The guard looked terrified, and he fumbled for the keys and unlocked the door. Mom sprinted down the hallway toward the Great Room with the rest if us and dad close behind us. We reached the safe room there. The door was slightly ajar, but no guards were near. "Oh my God." Mom said softly. Dad stepped up and took her hand. Together they walked into the safe room. I couldn't see inside the room at what they were looking at, but watching mom, made it pretty clear. She turned as white as a sheet and collapsed to the floor sobbing. "Eady, oh Eady." Dad just stood there with his jaw hanging open and his face pale. He looked like he was in shock. The rest of us stepped inside and were instantly horrified. The safe room was big. It was holding about 50 people, including Eadalyn and Kile, Silvia, Gavril Fadaye, Eadalyn's maid, Neena, and lots of news reporters and paparazzi. Every single one of them had been slaughtered. It looked like they had tried to shield Eadalyn and Kile from view, but the rebels just killed them all until they found them. Kaden looked at Eadalyn's body. She was still wearing the beautiful dress she had worn at her announcement. It was sky blue, with a floor length skirt, made of layers of floaty tulle and silk. The skirt faded to white at the bottom, so it looked as if Eady was on a cloud. He fell to his knees next to them taking Eadalyn's hand, but it wasn't warm and soft as it usually was, it was cold and clammy and she was dead. Dead. She would never come back and-_

Kaden woke with a start. It had been two years now since Eadalyn and Kile's deaths, but memories like those kept haunting his dreams. It was always the same, they started at night, when he had walked into bed, but soon turned to the attack. He shook his head. The sadness that had once filled him had gone away. He was still sad, but he felt better, he felt like Eadalyn and Kile had just gone on vacation, and he would see them after a while. He had come of age yesterday, and his Selection would start in a month. He was very excited when his mother and father proposed a Selection. Theirs had gone so well, It seemed like a fairy tale to Kaden. And Eadalyn had even made a deal with her father that she only had to last three months, but she ended up taking double that time and finding love. Kaden saw no reason he should be any different. He was more worried about liking them all so much he couldn't decide which one. Also, his parents had gotten better, but were still sad about the loss of their first child and son-in-law to be, but the idea of a Selection reminded them of theirs, it made them so happy, Kaden couldn't refuse. It had been a long two years, but with a Selection coming, the whole palace seemed brighter and more cheerful. Kaden had other things on his mind though, tonight was the night he would announce to all of Illea that he was going to have a Selection on the report, andhe was a nervous wreck. He had addressed the country before, of course. With Eadalyn gone and Ahren already married, he would be king of Illea soon, but he had never been talking about himself. He was worried that no girls would enter, or the people would take it badly. The good news was that the country was in a particularly good mood. They had finally infiltrated the rebel base and had all the rebels in custody. The country was free of rebels. And, as of a few days ago, the King and Queen had announced that they were working on plans to eliminate the castes. They had explained that it would probably take about 5 years to put the plans into action, and another 10-15 to actually eliminate the castes, but people were just glad something was finally happening. All in all, the odds were in my favor, but we'll see about that. The lights turned on, and blinded me for a moment. We were on. It was now or never.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Selection has begun

**Okay guys, I have a few things to say before I get started, PLEASE READ!**

 **1\. If your girl didn't get an intro and you want her to have one, please PM me a paragraph in her POV. Feel free to tell me if for some reason you need me to write one, but I would really appreciate it if you could just send me one. Sorry, but I just don't have time to write like, 17 more intros.**

 **2\. I will keep you guys posted about my upcoming full length novel, Hook, PM me for more information.**

 **3\. This chapter is from Kaden's POV, just so you know.**

I ran my sweaty hands through my hair, absentmindedly knocking my crown off my head. It clattered to the floor and I jumped. A maid passing through scooped it up and handed it to me with a sympathetic smile. I tried to smile back, but it turned into more of an awkward grimace. I was excited for my Selection, truly, but that didn't mean I wasn't stressed beyond belief. The girls were coming today, and the rooms weren't ready, the menu wasn't set yet, there was just so much to do, and I was going insane.

Tilly ran around the corner. Tilly was Sylvia's adopted daughter. Sylvia wasn't married, but she had wanted a child, so on her trip to Italy, she adopted Tilly. I hugged her, we had been friends since she came to the palace. She was five years younger than I, but she seemed so mature. "Thank God Tilly, someone who is actually sane around here." I sighed. She laughed and playfully punched me,

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, Sylvia has got me working like a horse." She laughed again. "Come on Kaden, we've got to get to the kitchens, I've been searching for you all morning, we need to decide on the menu for the feast." She ran, dragging me behind her, her delicate baby blue heels clicking on the marble. I fake groaned, and in response, she yanked my hand and ran faster.

We arrived at the kitchen out of breath. I was determined to get everything done so that I could take a nap before dinner with the girls. Just those words alone made me shiver with anticipation and nerves. Chef Francés started talking, but I beat him to it.

"For the feast, I'm thinking butter poached lobster tail, lettuce with goat cheese, beet, and pistachios, some of your famous tomato basil crab bisque, and for dessert, butterscotch tiramisu and chocolate mousse." He looked impressed, and gave a slight bow, turned around, and yelled to his chefs in French,

"le prince a parlé, se rendre au travail garçons!" I heard Sylvia start talking behind me and whirled around.

"The girl's rooms should be painted ivory, with blue curtains and bedspreads and gold accents." She smiled.

"Excellent choices Your Majesty, head to the ballroom please." I hurried out the door, feeling accomplished, yet swarmed by all the people around me asking me questions. I threw out answers I thought would suffice. I finally made it to the ballroom, where they were decorating for the opening ceremony tonight. It was mostly for the cameras, but the ballroom was beautiful. The theme was white and gold, each girl would have a white and gold dress, as well as the guests, but I would be wearing a black tuxedo, to stand out for the cameras. All the walls were covered with magnificent tapestries, and there were white rose petals strewn across the floor. I gave the staff my approval, and they began showing me the dresses for the girls, as if I knew anything about fashion.

I was freaking out now, getting ready for the feast. My maids, Gabi and Suzette, were helping me into a five piece suit for welcoming the girls and dinner. I snapped on the cuff links and walked down the stairs. I gulped as I heard trumpets announcing the girls and saw a pink shoe step inside. _It was happening. The Selection had begun._


	3. Chapter 3 - The Report

**This is the chapter with all of Kaden's reactions to the pictures! I really hope you guys like it, it took me a really long time to write. Please give feedback through reviews and PMs, I love hearing your critiques, it helps me become a better writer! Here's the chapter!**

I could feel icy-cold trickles of sweat running down my back, and I tried my best to ignore them. Tonight was the night that I, and the entirety of Illea, would find out who was going to be coming to the palace, competing for my heart. What if I didn't want my heart to be a competition though? Sometimes I wished I could just go out to parties and flirt with girls, like any other normal guy would do. Normal guys didn't randomly choose 35 strangers to just show up at his house, acting like his love was some sort of prize to be won. But I wasn't just any normal guy. I was Price Kaden, soon to be king of Illea. On happy nights like these, it was easy to forget that I wasn't supposed to be a king. I wasn't the firstborn child. Eadlyn was. I pushed the gloomy thoughts out of my head, plastered a smile on my face, and then I was blinded by the light.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Gavril announced. Gavril had retired, but we had asked him to come and announce the names. "Here's what you've all been waiting for. Without further ado, the selected girls!" There was an uproar of screaming, cheering, and clapping.

"From Allens, Lady Orchid Rae Morison, 2." The screen flashed a picture of her, and I was pleasantly surprised. Her hair was light blonde, but towards the ends it ombred to a honey color. Her green-hazel eyes were wide and open. She wasn't drop dead gorgeous, but she was very pretty. I smiled, and saw my reaction mirrored back at me on one of the screens.

"From Angeles, Lady Lily DuBois, 2." I immediately noticed her gorgeous green eyes. They were a bright emerald color, and were complimented with the loose, chocolate brown ringlets that framed her face.

From Atlin, Lady Ambrose Elizabeth Knight, 5" Her sleek, jet-black hair was up in a high pony tail, with choppy bangs, that almost made her seem a little dangerous, a trait that her humongous doe-shaped eyes rivaled.

"From Baffin, Lady Devynn Rose Calder, 3" She had beautiful, wavy auburn hair and gray blue eyes. She looked kind of plain, but at the same time she gave off an aura of concentration and happiness.

"From Bankston, Lady Echo Ashlynn Laura Snow-Allen. Wow, there's a mouthful," joked Gavril. This girl had wavy brown hair and gray eyes. Anyone else with the same features would seem positively uninteresting, but there was something about her that made her seem calming, in a way that I admired.

"From Belcourt, Lady Margo Katerina Braxton, 6" She had a slightly choppy, wavy blond bob, and gray eyes. Her eyes were what I was immediately drawn to. They looked pretty normal, but there was no mistaking the "don't mess with me" expression. She looked very strong willed and feisty, which I was pretty sure was a good thing, but I'd have to wait and she.

"From Bonita, Lady Jessamine Alexandra Swan, 2" She had dark hair, with a blue streak in the front. She gave off sort of a bitchy vibe, like she didn't want to be entered in the Selection, but I would have to wait and see. Maybe I could figure out why she felt that way and help her out.

"From Carolina, Lady Megan Claire Dietrich, 6" This girl was pretty. She had sort of a heart shaped face, that made her look very kind and gentle. Her hair was straight brown, but it looked shiny and soft. Her eyes were an aqua color, a little more blue then green, and she had a few freckles scattered across her slim nose. My smile got a bit bigger.

"From Calgary, Lady Bridget Kelly O'Brien, 2" Her wavy hair was such a dark brown color, it was almost black, which complimented her bright blue eyes and made them seem even brighter. She had porcelain skin, which, combined with her other features, made her radiate a kind of sweet, subtle beauty that was rare.

"From Clermont, Lady Bella Sophia Burns, 3" My jaw dropped a little when I saw this girl's picture. Her long, golden brown hair fell in waves down her back, and her blue eyes made her look like she was laughing and teasing somebody, "come and get me." I would definitely keep an eye on her.

"From Columbia, Lady Finnley Lane Turner, 5" When her picture came up, I was surprised. After all of these girls looking natural and beautiful, this girl's purple hair was a shock, but a pleasant one nonetheless. Not all people can look good with purple hair, but this girl had a way of making it look natural and beautiful.

"From Dakota, Lady Saraphina Laurel Black, 6" This girl couldn't compare to some of the other girls in terms of beauty, with messy dark brown hair and dark eyes, but for some reason, I really wanted to get to know her. I'm not sure why, just something in her expression intrigued me.

"From Denbeigh, Lady Marissa Denise Gallows, 3" This girl kind of looked the same as the others, with fair skin, curly brown hair, and brown eyes, but she radiated cheerfulness and optimism, even through the T.V. screen, which I thought made her look ten times more beautiful.

"From Dominica, Lady Clarabelle Fallon Wyvern, 5" My jaw dropped when I saw this girl. She wasn't a typical beauty, but she was gorgeous. She had silvery-blue hair that cascaded in waves down her back, and stormy gray eyes. She looked mystical, and dangerous, and somehow those two worked together on her to vreate a distinct look that made her stand out.

"From Fennley, Lady Delaney Indigo Ender, 8" I didn't care about castes, so this year, for the first time, anyone in any caste could enter the Selection. She was pretty, with ink-black hair and piercing blue eyes, but it wasn't her looks that instantly drew me to her. In her portrait, she wasn't smiling, she looked dangerous, yet slightly afraid. I resolved to get to know her, and figure out what was so different about her than the other girls.

"From Hansport, Lady Andromena Bronwyn Fiore, 3" She had dark auburn hair, and emerald eyes. Her eyes were absolutely stunning, and her hair really brought them out. They looked like little gems, and her hair was fire. I would definitely know her when I saw her.

"From Honduragua, Lady Isabelia Willow Dason, 3" When her picture came up, I was surprised. Another purple-haired girl. This one didn't make it look as natural, but that doesn't mean it wasn't pretty. It was a deep amethyst color, and made her eyes stand out, which were stormy gray.

"From Hundson, Lady Cassandra Mae Price, 7" She was pretty, with curly reddish-auburn hair and hazel eyes. Her hair was slightly crazy, but in a cute way, that made her look adorable.

"From Kent, Lady Zoya Sanhi, 4" This girl definitely had Indian heritage, and she was pretty in an exotic way. Silky, wavy brown hair went down to her wait, she had chocolate colored eyes, and her skin was a light olive that really brought out her eyes.

"From Labrador, Lady Ainsley Faith Janvier, 2" She had wavy ash-blonde hair, and dark green eyes. In her right eye though, a fleck of silver caught my eye. It made her eyes look brighter, and complimented her hair. It was a small thing, but it enhanced her natural beauty a lot.

"From Lakedon, Lady Amber Rose Nicholson, 2" She had auburn hair, bright green eyes, but her skintone was what brought it all together. It was lightly sunkissed, so that she wasn't pale, but she wasn't über tan either. It really worked with her hair and eyes.

"From Likely, Lady Elizabeth Hope Duncan, 4" This girl was pretty in an outdoorsy sort of way. She had slightly wild dirt blond hair, and blue eyes, with a tiny smudge of dirt under her right eye. On some people it would stand out and look bad, but on her it was endearing, and I liked knowing that she wasn't perfect, but didn't really seem to care.

"From Midston, Lady Ivy Elizabeth Waters, 7" She had a curly red bob, which was cute, but her eyes were the things that immediately caught my attention. One was dark green, and the other was light blue. I had heard of heterochromia, but I had never seem anything like it, and it was absolutely stunning. The colors complimented each other and her hair. I would definitely remember her.

"From Ottaro, Lady Kori Anders, 2" Her whole head seemed to be on fire because of her hair, and emerald eyes contrasted beautifully with it. She looked a lot like the pictures my mother had shown me of her in her youth, but not so much that it was weird, just a little resemblance.

"From Paloma, Lady Alicia Marie Penepacker, 4" This girl looked really fun to be around, with crazy-curly brown hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. She looked a little exotic, and I guessed that she had heritage somewhere in Asia.

"From Panama, Lady Nala-Rose Elric, 8" Her hair was a pale blond, and a bit messy, but still presentable. Her eyes were gray green, and she would have looked kind of washed out if not for her tan skin. The tone of her skin made her eyes and hair really pop, and created a very summer, beachy look that was pretty.

"From Sonage, Lady Raven Roth, 6" This girl had long black hair, but her eyes stood out a lot. They were violet, sort of an amethyst color, that was different from anything I'd ever seen before. The stood out against her dark hair and gave her a mysterious, yet beautiful look. I wouldn't be forgetting about her.

"From Sota, Lady Sydney Heslip, 3" She wasn't ugly, but she wasn't stunning either. She had black hair with blue highlights, and blue eyes. In terms of beauty, she was okay, but there was something about her demeanor, and the way she held herself in the picture that made her stand out. I definitely wanted to get to know her before counting her out on looks only.

"From St. George, Lady Rosanette Noir Stenson, 6" This girl was really pretty, with wavy-curly brown hair, and brown eyes that had a circle of black around the edge. The thing that really shone about her though was her smile. The picture seemed to be taken right before she burst into laughter, and her grin melted a small corner of my heart. She wasn't like the others, and I couldn't wait to meet her.

"From Sumner, Lady Amethyst Eve Portor, 3" She had caramel brown hair, with brown eyes that wore such a look of innocence and curiosity that she was immediately endeared to me. I really wanted to get to know her for a reason I couldn't really explain, I just felt it in my heart. Not that we were meants to be together or anything, maybe eventually, but for now I just wanted to meet her.

"From Tammins, Lady Harriet Grace Hartwick, 2" This girl looked pretty typical, with blond hair and brown eyes. Her nose was turned up a bit which gave her a snotty sort of look, which was mirrored in her expression, but I would have to get to know her before I could judge her character.

"From Waverly, Lady Carmela Medli Smoke, 3" This girl had pretty hair, it was auburn with natural red and blond highlights, which contrasted each other, but at the same time blended together. Her eyes were electric blue and seemed to stare right through you. She looked pretty tough, but not mean or rude in any way.

"From Whites, Lady Madilyn Paisley Blackwood, 6" She had long, dark brown hair, but her eyes were a golden caramel color. They made her whole face light up and seem more youthful and innocent, which made her look very pretty.

"From Yukon, Lady Zelda Marie Engel, 4," She had hair so dark it was almost black, hazel-blue eyes, and freckles. All these created a sort of childish, yet sophisticated and beautiful look on her face. She also had rosy cheeks, which I was guessing were from Yukon's cold weather.

"And last, but certainly not least, from Zuni, Lady Riana Nanda, 2" She was definitely either New Asian or Indian, and had the features of such. She had long, dark hair, near black eyes, and dark skin. She looked exotic and beautiful.

"So your majesty, now that you've seen the ladies, any favorites?" Gavril asked.

"No, I don't think so Gavril, and even if I din, I'm keeping them to myself, this isn't a beauty pageant after all. I think I need to get to know them before I can choose favorites." Gavril smiled.

"Well said my Prince, well said. Well folks, tune in next week to get to know each of the girls a bit, maybe then Prince Kaden will tell us his favorites!" He said with a wink to the cameras. The audience laughed, and then the Report was over. I sighed and slumped down into my seat. This had been a long and tiring Report, and I wanted to get some rest before officially meeting the girls tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4 - Motherly Advice

**This was actually a deleted scene, but I felt like it should be included, so here you go!**

After finishing the Report, I walked back to my room, feeling haunted by the soft giggle and talking I heard everywhere. I was used to the palace being quiet, but it had now been invaded by 35 girls. It was terrifying. I jumped into a nearby room and locked the door when I heard someone coming around the corner. I barely suppressed a scream when I heard someone laugh behind me. I whirled around to see mother. I sighed with relief and leaned against the door to calm my racing heart.

"Geez mom, you scared me," I said. She just laughed.

"Scared? They're just _girls_ Kaden." She scoffed.

"Exactly my point, they might as well be aliens, with what I know about them." She chuckled.

"Kaden, sit down. I want to tell you the story of how your father and I met." I was a little confused at why she was telling this to me now, but she just patted the sofa next to her, so I shrugged and sat down."Before I begin, you have to understand something. I never wanted to come to the Selection. You know Aspen?" I nodded, of course I knew Aspen. He and Ms. Lucy were married happily and had a 2 children named Mary and Anne, my mother's two other maids, who were killed in the same rebel attack as Eadlyn and Kile. "We were dating secretly at the time the letter arrived. We were actually planning on getting married, but then he convinced me to sign up for the Selection, because it was an opportunity that he would feel horrible about if I didn't take. I was shocked. My mother and Aspen? I would never have dreamed they had dated, based on how friendly they were now.

"So I got here. It was the first night I had arrived at the palace, and I was desperate for some fresh air. He saw me struggling with the guards outside the garden and commanded them to let me out. I felt better once I got outside, but I was a little claustrophobic and homesick, so when he tried to talk to me, I basically yelled at him that he was shallow and stuck up, and that the castle was like a cage, and that I hated him." She smiled at the memory before continuing.

"So then, the next day I was feeling much better, and so I apologized during my time to talk to him. We agreed to be friends, and we were both happy. Then about a week later, he tried to take me on a walk in the garden. I kneed him in the groin." My jaw dropped.

"You? Did what?" I stuttered. She laughed at my gaping mouth.

"Yes, I kneed you father in the groin, now be quiet so I can finish my story." She teased, her eyes twinkling with merriment.

"So I kneed him in the groin, that's a whole other story for some other time, but I felt terrible later. I knew what I did was incredibly rude and that he would probably kick me out the next day. I got a chance to talk to him though, and I apologized. He forgave me, thankfully, but I still couldn't love him because of Aspen. We had had a fight right before I left, and everything was so confusing for me. I didn't know what to think. Finally, after a while, I started to forget Aspen, and I was falling in love with Maxon. I had told Maxon about Aspen, but he didn't know the name, I just told him about my boyfriend at home. Everything was great in those weeks. Then one day, Aspen was drafted, and placed as a guard at the palace." I gasped.

"We saw each other while I was on a date with Maxon, and we were both shocked. Maxon didn't know that Aspen was the boy I had talked about, and I didn't tell him. That was an idiot move. I should have told him, and if things had gone different later, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life, but where where we?"

"You had seen Aspen?" I prompted.

"Ah, yes. So I decided not to tell Maxon about Aspen, for fear that he would harm Aspen. That night, Aspen came to my room at night and we kissed, and her felt like being home, and he was so comforting that I went along with him. We met in a secret a few more times, until it was down to the Elite, and I had finally realized that I loved Maxon. I ended things with Aspen that night, and we never met in secret again. Finally it was down to two, me, and a girl named Kriss. Maxon was announcing his engagement the next day, and he came into my room and told me that he had chosen me! I was going to be queen of Illea!" Mom smiled.

"But then Aspen was trying to talk to me. He said that he still loved me and had never stopped. I knew then that I loved Maxon, and I was going to tell Aspen that, but then Maxon caught up together. He immediately connected two and two, that Aspen was the boy I had dated at home, and that I had cheated on him. I told him I had ended things, that I was so sorry I didn't tell him, but he didn't forgive me that time, and I couldn't blame him. He had forgiven me after every fight we had, and believe me, there were a lot, but this was different. " Mom actually had tears in her eyes at this point, and I patted her shoulder. She gave me a watery smile before continuing.

"So the next day, before the announcement was made, which I knew would be Kriss, we were still fighting. Right as he was about to make the announcement though, the guards turned out to be Southern rebels. The shot one of my friends, Celeste, through the head. Maxon took a bullet for me, and thought he was going to die, we all did, and he told me that he loved me, that he hoped I was happy, and that he was glad the rebels stopped him from marrying Kriss. Maxon recovered though, and we got married. I have to say though, even though the Southern Rebels were extremely dangerous, and we're so glad they're gone, I kind of have them to thank for my husband." Mom smiled, and I just sat there stunned. I always thought my parents had just met and fallen in love. I had never dreamed that they went through so much to be together.

"What I'm trying to tell you Kaden, is don't give up. If you love someone, you'll know. You can't force love, but you also can't try to ignore it if it's right in front of you. My love for Maxon was always right in front of me, but I was so innocent and naïve, that it took him almost dying for me to realize that I loved him more than anything in the world. Don't let that happen to you Kaden, don't wait so long that you're time runs out. At the other end of the stick, don't rush into something you'll regret later. Give it enough time that you know you love the girl, then marry her. I know you'll be a great king my darling." She smiled before leaving the room.

My head was still spinning from her story. I still thought my parents love seemed like a fairy tale, now even more than ever, but I realized that mom hadn't told me this story for no reason. She wanted me to learn from it, and I would. I would take the advice she gave me and let it guide me through the trials that were sure to lie ahead. My Selection might be a bumpy road, but I knew that at the end I would find a girl that I'd be happy to spend the rest of my life with. A girl who would be the reason I woke up in the morning, and a girl that would make me the best I could possibly be.

Somewhere in the 35 girls I had just seen on the Report was my future wife. I smiled, ready to find whoever it was and spend the rest of my life with them. I didn't know who it would be, and I didn't know how long it would take to find out, but I knew my Selection would be an adventure that I would never forget.


	5. Chapter 5 - First Date

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE AMAZING AND INCREDIBLE SCREECHING PEANUT (formerly TheSelectionr0xBFFL) SHE IS AWESOME AND AMAZING AND AN EPIC WRITER, GO CHECK HER OUT AND MEGAN IF YOURE READING THIS HHHHHAAAAAAAPPPPPPPYYYYY BBBBBIIIIIIRRRRRRTTTTTTTHHHHHHHDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!**

 **P.S. I don't mean to spoil anything, but Kaden's first date may or may not be in this chapter! *squeals* Don't feel bad if it wasn't your girl, everyone will get a date sometime, so if yours isn't first, don't sweat it. LETS GET STARTED!**

Dad told me that I should probably ask one of the girls out on a date today, so they weren't kept waiting. I had a few ideas, but before I could even get to dates, there was breakfast. I straightened my tie and walked into the dining room. The girls all stood and curtsied and I smiled.

"I see Sylvia's already met with you ladies." They all giggled and a few nodded. "Oh! Forgive me, please sit down and eat, you all must be starving!" They smiled, sat down, and dug in. The breakfast looked incredible, so I hurried to my seat and ate. Breakfast after that was pretty uneventful. I wasn't sure what to say to them, so I didn't say anything, and they didn't speak to me. The meal went by fast, and soon it was time for interviews. We walked into a lounge area, where there were assorted couches and armchairs for the girls, with two placed next to the fireplace. One for me, one for the girl.

"Lady Orchid, you're up first." She blushed a little as she walked over, and swept her blonde hair over one shoulder after she had settled into the chair. I leaned back, as much as I wanted to get to know the girls, I was definitely not looking forward to five minutes with each one.

"Thank you ladies, I've enjoyed talking to all of you. You may head to your rooms to meet your maids, they can get you anything you need." I smiled at the girls. On the way out, I tapped one girl on the shoulder and motioned for her to stay back. She was near the end of the girls, and they didn't even notice her step back. "My dear, would you like to join me for lunch in the garden today?" She grinned.

"Of course!" I sighed with relief, she seemed very nice, I was certain she would make a good companion.

"I'll pick you up at your room around, noon, shall we say?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Wonderful, I'll see you at noon." She smiled and hurried out of the room. I slumped into a chair, I was drained. I decided to go to my room and take a quick nap before my lunch date, then realized that I needed to get food and get it set up. I sighed, a prince is never finished.

I had just finished setting up when I had to run upstairs to meet her. I knocked on the door and she beamed when she saw me.

"Lady Megan, are you ready for lunch?" I asked, putting my arm out for her.

"Of course Your Majesty, and please, just Megan." She draped her arm over mine.

"Only if you call me Kaden." She chuckled.

"As you wish Kaden." We walked on in a comfortable silence. She was beautiful, and her dress was gorgeous. It was strapless, with a cream colored bodice and long, lacy skirt that touched her ankles. She was wearing matching white sandals, and her hair was curled to perfection and held back with diamond studded pins. She looked like some sort of goddess. She gasped when we walked into the gardens.

"Oh Kaden it's beautiful!" She exclaimed. I smiled.

"I'm glad you like it." It was a rather charming little picnic. There was a pink satin blanket spread on the grass, with a display of assorted sandwiches, and there was even a little chocolate fountain with fruit to dip in it. The gardens were particularly beautiful right now too, as it was late autumn, and the trees were red, orange, and yellow, and there were lots of flowers at full bloom. We sat at the edge of a little stream talking.

"So, tell me about your family." I asked. She shrugged.

"There's not much to tell, honestly. I have two brothers, Samuel and Cody, Sam is a store clerk at the local grocery store, and Cody is a driver, I also have a sister named Margaret, she's a waitress. My parents are both secretaries, and I am a seamstress." She was a six? The castes were slowly but surely going away, but still, she seemed so poised and elegant for being so poor. "We live in Carolina." I nodded.

"Your turn," she teased. "Tell me something about you!" I thought for a moment.

"Umm, I play the saxophone." Pretty much nobody knew that, but for some reason I trusted her.

"Really?!" She gasped, "I've _always_ wanted to play saxophone!"

"Really? Maybe I could teach you..." I was a little nervous, I had no experience flirting, so asking someone out on a second date was beyond terrifying.

"I would love that Kaden!" She threw her arms around me and I jumped, then hugged her back.

"Great! I'm terribly sorry Megan, but I have soon, so may I escort you back to your room?" I gave a small bow and she giggled.

"But of course, your highness." She said in a sophisticated accent. We talked and joked all the way back to her room.

"I wish I could ask for you to come to a movie tomorrow, but unfortunately, the others would probably get jealous. I mean, there's just not enough of me to go around." She playfully slapped my chest and then we parted. I rushed down to my meeting, as I was already five minutes late, but the whole time I was thinking of Megan and how sweet and innocent and playful she was. Maybe the Selection would be more fun than I thought.

 **Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, the people who review will get their dates sooner than the people who don't, just saying ;) So REVIEW! Thanks!**


	6. AUTHORS NOTE - PLEASE READ!

**So I'm really sorry, but lately I've been getting a ton of homework. With the huge workload, not to mention working on a book of my own, it's getting really hard to publish chapters every week. I will be taking a little break from Fanfiction so that I can catch up on homework and have more time for you guys when I get back. Thank you all so much for understanding, and I'll try to start publishing again as soon as possible, bye!**


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